Heading into the 2026 midterms, health care affordability has become the defining economic concern for voters across party lines — creating pressure that is actively reshaping what is politically viable in Washington and what is not. This session offers a candid, grounded assessment of what the second Trump administration's health policy agenda means for integrated, team-based care: tracing the first-year record from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's Medicaid restructuring and the expiration of ACA enhanced subsidies, to the consolidation of SAMHSA and HRSA into the new Administration for a Healthy America, to the rollout of the MAHA agenda and its emphasis on chronic disease prevention and whole-person care. The picture is not one-dimensional — federal coverage losses and behavioral health funding pressures pose serious near-term challenges, while the administration's investment in models like MAHA ELEVATE and its philosophical focus on root-cause, lifestyle-based approaches reflect genuine, if imperfect, alignment with integrated care's core premises. Attendees will leave with a clear-eyed view of the threats, a realistic map of the opportunities, and practical strategies for advancing integrated care at the state level and through payment reform — regardless of who controls Washington.
A Preview of the Role Health Care May Play in the 2026 Election. KFF, April 2026. https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/a-preview-of-the-role-health-care-may-play-in-the-2026-election/
Health Policy in the First Year of Trump's Second Administration. Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, May 2026. https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/health-policy-first-year-trumps-second-administration
Proposed Federal Budget Cuts Could Exacerbate the Behavioral Health Crisis. Commonwealth Fund, August 2025. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2025/proposed-federal-budget-cuts-could-exacerbate-behavioral-health-crisis
MAHA ELEVATE Model. CMS Innovation Center (CMMI), 2026. https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/maha-elevate
Implementing High-Quality Primary Care: A Policy Menu for States. Milbank Memorial Fund, 2026. https://www.milbank.org/publications/implementing-high-quality-primary-care-a-policy-menu-for-states/